How to get rid of mold

Household tips

This is how you can permanently remove mold in the house.

Mold on the wall: You should treat infected areas immediately with appropriate agents. Otherwise, the fungus will spread even further.

Mold thrives particularly well in damp rooms. To avoid damage to health, it should be removed as soon as possible. Read here how best to proceed and which measure makes sense when.

Molds like to settle, especially outside corners or windows, where condensation water provides the necessary moisture. But cool outside walls are also at risk – especially places where little air circulates, for example, behind cupboards and shelves. In winter, mold thrives particularly well indoors. But even in summer, when it is warm and humid at the same time, molds find perfect conditions in which to thrive.

Remove mold

1. Remove small areas of mold with alcohol.
2. A specialist should remove larger areas, as the cause must be eliminated.
3. Anti-mold paint only helps to a limited extent against mold.

Remove mold stains yourself?

If the mold stains are minor, you can remove them from the walls yourself, for example, with alcohol. If more than half a square meter is black, it is better to consult a professional. The fungi will keep coming back if the mold is only removed superficially, but the cause is not eliminated.

Minor superficial damage can also be combated with mold removers. However, this is usually not enough. If wallpaper and walls are infested, mold can hardly be removed with simple means. The fungi settle in the top layer of the porous mineral wall plaster – too deep for household remedies or chemical substances.

Remove mold with home remedies.s

You can do without the chemical club entirely as soon as the trigger has been removed. Then home remedies such as alcohol are sufficient.

In contrast to fungicides, which remain in the rooms for a long time after the stains have been treated and can endanger the occupants’ healths, the alcohol evaporates quickly after airing. Minor stains can be easily removed with 70 to 80 percent ethyl alcohol.

Remove mold with alcohol.l

Soak an old cotton rag in at least 70 percent alcohol (isopropyl alcohol).
Dab the moldy surface with light pressure.
Make sure, however, that the surface does not become soggy.
Wait until the area has dried and repeated the process several times if necessary.
Be careful not to rub the mold spores in during the application. In this way, spores could reach unaffected areas.
Discard the rag after use. Otherwise, the spores could spread to other surfaces.

Remove mold with denatured alcohol.l

For insensitive surfaces, you can also treat the affected area with hydrogen peroxide or denatured alcohol. However, both agents are very irritating to the mucous membranes. Therefore, only use these chemicals in well-ventilated areas and wear thick washing-up gloves and a respirator when using them.

Wet the affected area with a cleaning rag soaked in denatured alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Once the site has dried, repeat the process several times if necessary. Dab the entire surface with light pressure – don’t forget the edges.

Do not fight mold with vinegar.r

The home remedy vinegar or vinegar essence, advertised in many places, is unsuitable for combating mold. Many building materials and especially lime, neutralize the vinegar. In addition, organic nutrients get onto the fabric with vinegar. This can even promote fungal growth. Baking powder is also considered a home remedy for mold. However, this only clears the infestation in the short term and, like vinegar, exacerbates the problem for a long time.

Materials affected by mold must be cleaned thoroughly. If this is not possible, for example, if the spores have penetrated upholstered furniture, the furniture must be disposed of as a precaution.

Eliminate the cause

In addition to the symptoms, it is necessary to get rid of the cause of the mold. Often even the plaster removed from the affected areas. As a result, commercially available mold removers can be used when there is no more moisture in the affected areas. If the cause of the mold infestation not eliminated, heavy means must use.

If you have to remove wallpaper and plaster and carry out mold remediation, you should take precautionary measures. A breathing mask, protective clothing, and gloves are mandatory. Also, clear out all objects from the room. Before the infected wallpaper removes, the fungi kill with the anti-mold agents. Do not use agents containing hypochlorite for this. You are putting too much strain on the airways.

Anti-mold paints are often harmful to health

Where there is a risk of new infestation, for example, due to construction defects such as thermal bridges, anti-mold paints or color additives can help. Agents with the substance octylisothiazolinone, sometimes combined with other biocides, have proven to be very effective. Work with these chemicals should only carry out in well-ventilated areas. It is compulsory to wear rubber gloves and a respirator.

Detect mold growth in good time

Black spots on the walls and ceilings can signify that the mold hides behind the wall coverings and wallpaper, under the laminate, or in insulation materials. A musty smell, damp laundry in the cupboards, or residents’ health problems are indications that fungi and bacteria are hiding somewhere. These can manifest themselves in an allergy, for example. An alarm signal that mold could form in the house is condensation on the window frames. The water droplets indicate that there is too much moisture in the room.

Tips for preventing mold

Correct ventilation and heating behavior are vital to avoid the formation of mold. The guideline values for temperature and room humidity provide information on whether you need to ventilate or heat more or less.Averagel humidity differs from room to room:

Living spaces: 40 to 60 percent
Bedrooms: 40 to 60 percent
Kitchen: 50 to 60 percent
Bathroom: 50 to 70 percent

You can measure the humidity in the room with a hygrometer.